1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to an airborne deployed passive radio frequency identification system and a method to identify an analyte and then to communicate a result of the analyte identification to a receiving station for an analysis and generation of a set of recommended actions. The invention will enhance the situational awareness and preparedness of forward deployed combat troops or security forces by assessing the presence of hazards as they advance and enter a hazardous zone.
2. Description of Related Art
Historically, exploitation of passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag technology to track items of manufacture is known. A typical commercial RFID system is composed of an electronic device capable of rendering a response containing encoded information when interrogated. The encoded information is transmitted via a wireless link to the interrogating unit and processed either by a software algorithm executing on a computer or viewed by a user on a display.
An advanced type of RFID system renders upon interrogation a particular encoded piece of information. The particular information rendered by advanced RFID systems is dynamically ascertained as a result of exposing a sensing element to a substance that the sensing element is designed to detect. Sensing and then rendering the presence or absence of a specific substance is accomplished by integrating an RFID electronic device with a sensing element.
What is lacking in the area of RFID systems is an RFID system deployable ahead of an advancing military unit or security force that automatically identifies a hazardous analyte, upon interrogation autonomously transmits to a receiving station the identity of the hazardous analyte, locates with GPS precision a position of the hazardous analyte, then develops a set of recommended precautions specific to the hazardous analyte and then conveys the set of recommended precautions to a user.
Information relevant to attempts to address these problems can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,040,139 which is titled a Sensor Arrangement. However, this reference suffers from one or more of the following disadvantages: it is commercial in nature, it does not lend itself to be exploited in a forward deployed manner and is not described as operating outside of a container.
Additional information relevant to attempts to address these problems can be found in a Patent Application Publication No. 2006/60181414, titled as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Based Sensor Networks. However, this reference suffers from one or more of the following disadvantages: it is commercial in nature, it does not lend itself to be exploited in a forward deployed manner and it does not develop a set of recommended actions based upon the presence of a particular analyte.